Category:Relics of Mary (subject)

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According to Christian (and Islamic) traditions, Relics of Mary of Nazareth are preserved in several locations, notably, the Cathedral of Prato and Eephesus.

Overview

Christian tradition claims that Mary's body was assumed to heaven. As in the case of Jesus, only certain bodily parts (such as her milk, hair, or similar) were said to be preserved. The majority of relics of Mary are made of her belongings, such as the clothes she wore or the house where she lived. None of them is undisputed.

Hair of Mary

The Girdle of Mary

The tradition says that Mary died in the presence of all Apostles but Thomas. When Thomas arrived he saw the Virgin ascending to heaven and was given her Girdle to confirm his vision. According to one version of the legend, Thomas carried the relic to India where he died a martyr. In 394 A.D. together with the coffin of Thomas, the Girdle of Mary was also moved from India to Raha. Another version says that the relict was kept in Jerusalem until it was moved to Constantinople where it was originally deposited in the Chalcoprateion church. Then the relic was transferred by the Emperor Leo to the Vlachernae church (458). During the reign of Leo VI ‘the Wise’ (886-912), it was taken to the Palace.

Many are the churches who claim possession of the relic, including:

  • the Cathedral of Saint Stephen in Prato, Tuscany [Italy]
  • St. Mary's Soonoro Church in Holms [Syria]
  • the Trooditissa Monastery, near Platres [Cyprus] -- The orthodox monastery is dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
  • the Vatopedi Monastery, Mount Athos [Greece] -- When in October-November 2011 the relic went to Russia for a monthlong tour, more than two million of people venerated it.
  • The Collégiale Notre-Dame in Le Puy-Notre-Dame [France]
  • the Collégiale Notre-Dame de Délivrance in Côtes-d'Armor, Bretagna [France]
  • the Catedral de Santa Maria in Tortosa, Terragona/Catalogna [Spagna];
  • l'Abbazia di Bruton nel Somerset/Sud Ovest in Inghilterra (Gran Bretagna)[8]

Clothes of Mary

  • Nôtre Dame de Chartes [France] -- The Church Preserves the veil, tunic, or chemise of Mary. It is the oldest and most famous relic of the kind. It is said it belonged to Charlemagne. Later Charles II (the Bald) gave it to the Cathedral at Chartres/France in 877.
  • Aix La Chapelle, Aachen [Germany] -- The church Preserves the shroud of Mary. The relic is exhibited once every seven years.
  • Mary's shoes were venerated at the Cistercian Abbey Maria Ophoven. However they were stolen in 1826 and never found again.

The Ring of Mary

  • The engagement ring of Mary is in Perugia, Umbria [Italy]
  • Weihenlinden/Germany -- The wedding ring

House of Mary

  • Nazareth [Israel] -- The House in which Mary was born, and lived at Nazareth is said to be identified in 336 by Saint Helena who ordered a basilica to be erected over it. The Basilica of the Annunciation at Nazareth contains in its lower level the Grotto of the Annunciation, believed to be the remains of the original childhood home of Mary.
  • Loreto, Marche [Italy] -- The narrative maintains that in 1291 the angels carried the House of Mary from Nazareth first to Tersatto-Trsat, near Rijeka [Croatia], and then, in 1294, to its current location in Loreto [Italy]. Loreto became an important center of pilgrimage and a splendid sanctuary was build to contain the relic. The Shrine of the Holy House (Basilica della Santa Casa) is still today one of the most popular sanctuaries in Italy.
  • Ephesus [Turkey] -- The ruins of the house where Mary lived in Ephesus were first "identified" on October 18, 1881 by the Abbé Julien Gouyet, based on the description of the visionary Anne Catherine Emmerich. In 1891 Sister Marie de Mandat-Grancey was responsible for acquiring, restoring and preserving Mary's House and transforming it into a major pilgrimage site. Today the site is venerated by Muslims as well as Christians. Three Popes visited the Shrine--Paul VI (July 26, 1967), John Paul II (November 30, 1979), and Benedict XVI (November 29, 2006).

The (Empty) Tomb of Mary

  • Mary's Tomb, Kidron Valley, Jerusalem -- A sarcophagus in a grotto is believed to be the original burial place of Mary. The Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem is in possession of the shrine, sharing it with the Armenian Apostolic Church. The Syriacs, the Copts, and the Abyssinians have minor rights. Muslims also have a special place for prayer (the mihrab).

The Letter of Mary

  • Messina [Italy] -- A Church was reported to preserve in the reliquary of its great altar a letter to the City of Messina from the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its actual author was Constantine Laskaris in the fifteenth century.

In Depth

External links

  • [ Wikipedia]

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